GB2316496A

GB2316496A - Hinged optical fibre storage enclosure

Info

Publication number: GB2316496A
Application number: GB9616807A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Charles Foss; Andrew Stephen Cammack
Original assignee: Bowthorpe PLC
Current assignee: Bowthorpe PLC
Priority date: 1996-08-09
Filing date: 1996-08-09
Publication date: 1998-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2016-08-09
Also published as: FR2752304A1; FR2752304B3; GB2316496B; GB9616807D0

Abstract

An optical fibre storage enclosure has fibre storage trays 14 mounted in a stack, each tray being hinged to each adjacent tray. The outer tray 14 of the stack is fixed to an upright support member 17 which extends from a base 10. The trays 14 may be attached to each adjacent tray by a L-shaped link member 22, which may be rigidly attached to one tray and pivotally attached to each adjacent tray. Each tray 14 may have a base 15, a peripheral wall 16, cable entry ports 18 and outward extensions 19, on which the tray may be pivoted. The link members 22 may extend alternately between the opposed faces and outwardly facing faces of the extensions 19. The pivoted edges of the trays 14 may be nearest the enclosure base 10. The enclosure may have cable entry ports 13 directed towards the enclosure base 10.

Description

Optical fibre storage enclosure This invention relates to an optical fibre storage enclosure and more particularly, but not solely, to an optical fibre splice storage enclosure.

Splices between optical fibres are generally stored in trays which are mounted inside an enclosure. W090/05318 discloses one such optical fibre splice storage enclosure which comprises a plurality of trays mounted axially inside an elongate tubular cover. The trays are pivoted at one end to a base which closes the tubular cover, and which is provided with ports for optical fibre cables to enter the enclosure.

Each tray is pivotable about a line which extends along its edge that is disposed adjacent the base, and which extends perpendicular to the axis of the enclosure, so that each tray can be exposed for installation or inspection of the splices contained therein.

The trays are pivotally mounted in a stepwise manner to a carrier on the base, so as to allow sufficient room for the cables to enter and leave the trays at their hinged edges.

However, a disadvantage of this arrangement is that the carrier forms an obstruction between the trays and the cable entry ports on the base, and thus routing the cable past the carrier is difficult and time consuming. Furthermore the carrier exacerbates the crowding of the optical fibres in the region of the enclosure between its base and the trays.

We have now devised an optical fibre splice storage enclosure which alleviates the above-mentioned problems.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided an optical fibre storage enclosure comprising a base, a plurality of fibre storage trays mounted in a stack, each tray being hinged to each adjacent tray at the same edge with respect to the stack, an outer tray in the stack being fixed to an upright support member extending from the base.

In use, optical fibres can pass freely between the base and the trays, since the support is only disposed at one end of the stack. Each of the trays in the stack can be exposed by pivoting downwardly the trays that are above it in the stack, rather like opening the pages of a book.

Preferably the trays are provided with cable entry ports that are directed towards the base.

Preparing each tray is pivoted along a line which extends parallel to the base. Preferably the stack is arranged so that the pivoted edges of the trays are nearest to the base.

A disadvantage of pivoting the trays to each other is that there is not much room for fibres to pass through the hinged edge of stack to an exposed tray. Thus, preferably each tray comprises a base which defines an optical fibre storage region and an extension which extends outwardly from said region, each tray being pivoted to each adjacent tray at a point on said extension which is disposed outwardly of the region.

In use, when a tray is exposed, the optical fibre storage region of the adjacent tray is pivoted well away from the corresponding region of the exposed tray, so that there is plenty of room for fibres to pass through the hinged edge of the stack.

Preferably each tray is pivotally attached to each adjacent tray by respective link members.

Preferably one end of each link member is rigidly attached to one tray, its opposite end being pivotally attached to an adjacent tray.

Preferably each tray comprises a pair of extensions.

Preferably adjacent pairs of trays in the stack are pivotally interconnected by link members which extend alternately between the opposed faces of their extensions and the outwardly facing faces of their extensions. In this manner each tray can be of an identical shape, so as to reduce tooling costs.

Preferably the trays are moulded from plastics material.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an optical fibre splice storage enclosure in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the splice storage trays of the enclosure of Figure 1; and Figures 3 and 4 are side views of the hinge portion of the enclosure of Figure 1, showing how the trays are hinged in use.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown an optical fibre splice storage enclosure comprising a base 10 and a tubular cap-ended cover 11 for fitting to the base.

Optical fibre cables enter the enclosure through the base 10 via cable entry ports 13. The enclosure further comprises a plurality of moulded plastics trays 14 which are arranged in a stack, with each tray extending axially of the tubular cover 11.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, each tray 14 comprises a fibre storage area having a substantially rectangular base 15, which is rounded at its opposite ends and a peripheral wall 16. The trays 14 are arranged in the stack, such that they each face in the same direction. The base 16 of the tray at the bottom of the stack is bolted to an upright support 17, which extends from the base 10. The support 17 comprises a metal strip which is cranked so that the lower ends of the trays 14 are mounted away from the support, as shown in Figure 1.

Each tray 14 is provided at its lower end with cable entry ports 18 formed in its peripheral side wall, and projecting towards the base 10. The lower end of each tray 14 further comprises a pair of extensions 19, which project longitudinally of the tray 14 towards the base. The extensions 19 are disposed at equal distances from a line which extends longitudinally along the centre of the tray 14. The opposed inwardly facing surfaces of each extension 19 are provided with a pair of studs 20, and a similar pair of studs 21 are also provided on the outwardly facing surfaces of each extension 19.

Once the first tray 14 has been securely fixed to the support 17, the next tray is pivotally mounted to the first tray by means of a pair of L-shaped links 22 which interconnect their respective extensions 19. Each link 22 comprises an aperture on one arm and an aperture on its corner which receive the outwardly projecting studs 21 on the tray extensions 19 of the first tray 14. The opposite arm of each link 22 comprises a further aperture which receives the lowermost outwardly projecting stud 22 on the respective extension on the next tray 14. The links 22 are secured to the trays 14 by melting the projecting portion of the studs 21, such that they are enlarged in diameter.

Subsequent trays 14 are attached to the outer tray in the stack in a similar manner using the links 22, however the links 22 are positioned on the inwardly and outwardly projecting studs of the extensions 19 of alternate trays 14, as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, in use each of the trays can be exposed by pivoting downwardly each of the trays that are above it in the stack. The pivot point P of the trays 14 is disposed outwardly from the lower edges of the storage area and thus a large space is created between the pivoted trays, which improves the accessibility to the fibres passing from the exposed tray to the base 10.

Furthermore, the region between the base 10 and the lower edges of the trays 14 is clear of any supporting structure, so that the accessibility to the fibres is further improved.

Claims

1) An optical fibre storage enclosure comprising a base, a plurality of fibre storage trays mounted in a stack, each tray being hinged to each adjacent tray at the same edge with respect to the stack, an outer tray in the stack being fixed to an upright support member extending from the base.

2) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in claim 1, comprising cable entry ports directed towards the base.

3) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in claims 1 or 2, in which each of said trays are pivoted along a line which extends parallel to the base.

4) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the stack is arranged so that the pivoted edges of the trays are nearest to the base.

5) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each tray comprises a base which defines an optical fibre storage region and an extension which extends outwardly from said region, each tray being pivoted to each adjacent tray at a point on said extension which is disposed outwardly of the region.

6) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each tray is pivotally attached to each adjacent tray by respective link members.

7) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in claim 6, in which one end of each link member is rigidly attached to one tray, its opposite end being pivotally attached to an adjacent tray.

8) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in claims 6 or 7, comprising a pair of extensions.

9) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in claim 8, in which adjacent pairs of trays in the stack are pivotally interconnected by link members which extend alternatively between the opposed faces of the extensions and the outwardly facing faces of the extensions.

10) An optical fibre storage enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the trays are manufactured by mouldings from plastics material, each tray being identical in shape.

11) An optical fibre storage enclosure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.